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March of Democracy 

Patriotic Play 

for 
Intermediate and Grammar Grades 



NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN 



March of Democra cy 

Patriotic Play 

for 
Intermediate and Grammar Grades 



NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN 



v?^V> 






Copyright, 1919 

Frances Waldron 

Chicago, 111. 






MAfi II 1919 

©C1.A5145'35 



THE MARCH OF DEMOCRACY 



Characters — Prologue 1 

Five Colonists « 5 

Thomas Jefferson 1 

General Washington 1 

General LaFayette 1 

Constitution Group 2 

Thirteen Colonies 13 

Uncle Sam 1 

Spirit of Democracy 1 

States and Republics 60 

Kansas 1 

Abraham Lincoln I 

Woodrow Wilson 1 

Courier 1 

Red Cross and Salvation Army 2 

Group of Kings 3 

Army 1 

Navy 1 



PROLOGUE . 

We call our play "The March of Democracy." 
In it we have tried to show how Washington and 
Lincoln forwarded the cause of democracy. The 
first act shows the feeling in the early colonial 
times. 



Group of Colonists (5 boys). 

1st. — The English king wants us to pay taxes 
without letting us have a w^ord to say about 
making the laws. 

2nd. — -It is unjust as it can be. We have many 
friends in England who would help uSc 
Why do v^e endure it? 

3rd. — He does not represent the English people. 
His ideas will ruin England yet. But we 
must not endure these wrongs. 

Enter 4th boy. 

Another tax.— A stamp tax this time. 
Tax, tax, tax. Does he know no other 
way of raising money? 

5th. — We are not going to endure it. The men 
say Thomas Jefferson is writing a declara- 
tion of independence. I hope we will all 
sign it. Here comes Jefferson now. 

Enter Jefferson. 

Yes, gentlemen, 1 have written a declara- 



tion of independence. It reads thus: 
"When in the course of human events, it 
becomes necessary for one people to dis- 
solve the political bonds which have con- 
nected them with another, and to assume, 
among the powers of the earth, the sepa- 
rate and equal station to which the law of 
nature and of nature's God entitle them, 
a decent respect to the opinions of man- 
kind requires that they should declare the 
causes which impel them to the separation 
and here are the causes. Will you sign? 

Colonists (together). — We will sign. 

Four colonists sign and pass off to the right. The 
fifth remains alone on the stage. 

Remaining colonist. — ^This means trouble. I am 
sure it will bring war, but it cannot be any 
worse than it is now. 
(Exits.) 

The Prologue comes to center. 

Prologue — ^The war followed the Declaration of 
Independence. Washington was made 
general of the army and he is now^ shown 
at one of the most critical moments of 
the war. 

Enter Washington. — The war is almost a failure. 
My army is without food, without clothes, 
without money. The colonists do not 
support us as they should. We must get 



help. But where- — where — will it come 
from? 1 am almost in despair. 

Enter Lafayette. — Washington — Lafayette ! 

Lafayette.- — Yes, Washington, I have heard of 
your trouble and have come with money, 
soldiers and myself to your aid. We must 
win, for we are right; and right always 
wins. 

Enter a courier — Addresses Washington. 

The British have surrendered at York- 
town. We are at last a free nation. 
(Exit Courier.) 

Washington to Lafayette — 

That means we are a free nation. Now 
we shall have to form a new government. 

Lafayette- — Do make it a republic. 1 know the 
common people can govern themselves. 
At least, give them the opportunity. 

Washington — I am in favor of it. 

Enter the two boys representing the Con- 
stitution group. 

1st Boy.— We have been talking about the gov- 
ernment and have written out some laws 
that we think will work quite well. Would 
3/0U care to hear them? 

Washington— Yes. Will you read them to us? 

1st Boy. — We, the people of the United States, 
in order to form a more perfect union, 
establish justice, insure domestic tranquil- 



ity, provide for the common defense, pro- 
mote the general welfare, and secure the 
blessings of liberty to ourselves and our 
posterity, do ordain and establish this Con- 
stitution for the United States of America. 
Then follow the laws. 
2nd Boy. — But how shall we bring the people 

together under it? 
Washington — Better let each colony sign or rat- 
ify it and they can come in as they please. 
I wonder which will be the first colony to 
come. Ah, it is Delaware. 
Enter the 1 3 colonies — Delaware leading, Rhode 
Island last. 

(1787 — Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsyl- 
vania. 
1 788 — Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, 
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, 
New York, South Carolina, Vir- 
ginia. 
1 789 — North Carolina. 
1790— Rhode Island.) 
Enter Uncle Sam. 

Uncle Sam — Well, Washington and Lafayette 
and little colonies, you have made a good 
beginning. I will do all in my power to 
aid you. 
Washington and Lafayette (together) — How we 
should love to see the progress of this idea 



of democracy, but our time is short; we 

must soon go. (Turn and hesitate, then 

move slowly toward the right of stage.) 
Enter from right the Spirit of Democracy (hold- 
ing up her hand to halt them). 
Spirit — -I am the spirit of democracy. I have the 

power to show you the future of this United 

States. Shall I call the years for you? 
Washington and Lafayette — If you will, kind 

spirit. 
Spirit — Each year does something for the prog- 
ress of our idea. (States enter from the 

left and form behind Uncle Sam.) 

1791 — Vermont. 

I 792 — Kentucky. 

1 796 — Tennessee. 

1802— Ohio. 

1 8 I 2 — Louisiana. 

1 8 1 6 — Indiana. 

1 8 1 7 — Mississippi. 

1 8 1 8 — Illinois — Song of Illinois. 

I 8 1 9 — Alabama. 

1820— Maine. 

1821 — Missouri — Central America. 

1825 — Mexico. 

1828 — -Uruguay, Bolivia. 

1830 — ^Venezuela. 

1 8 3 6 — Arkansas . 

1837 — Michigan. 



1845 — Florida, Texas. 

1 846 — Iowa. 

1847— Chili. 

1 848 — Wisconsin. 

1 853 — Argentine. 

1830 — California. 

1858 — Minnesota. 

1859 — Oregon. 

1861 — Kansas — very much perturbed. 

Kansas — O, I'm so glad to get in. We had an 
awful time. Some of my people wanted 
slavery and some did not. Some say we 
are a union and some say we are not. I 
don't know how it will end; but I'm glad 
Abraham Lincoln is at the head to guide 
affairs. 

Enter Lincoln — Looks at the states anxiously. 

The 1 1 seceding states (1, South Carolina; 
2, Mississippi; 3, Florida; 4, Alabama; 5, 
Georgia; 6, Louisiana; 7, Texas; 8, Arkan- 
sas; 9, North Carolina; 10, Virginia; 11, 
Tennessee) step out and face Lincoln. 

1 1 states in unison (angrily) — If we can't have 
slavery we will not stay in the union. 

Lincoln (shaking his head sadly) — "We cannot 
live half slave and half free!" 

The 1 1 states march angrily out to the left. 
Enter the courier — to Uncle Sam. 

Courier — ^The South has declared war. 



Uncle Sam to Lincoln — They must be brought 
back. We cannot have two republics. 
You will have to get the Army and Navy 
to help you. 

Lincoln — I summon the Army and Navy. 

Enter from right the Army and Navy — they 
salute Lincoln. 

Lincoln — I command you to bring back the 
seceding states. 

(Exit Army and Navy to left.) 

Enter Courier— The battle of Gettysburg has 
been won. They wish you to dedicate 
the field to our heroic dead. 
(Exit.) 

Lincoln passes to front and gives the Gettysburg 
address. 

Four score and seven years ago our fa- 
thers brought forth on this continent a new 
nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated 
to the proposition that all men are created 
equal. Now we are engaged in a great 
civil war, testing whether that nation, or 
any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, 
can long endure. We are met on a great 
battlefield of that war. We have come 
to dedicate a portion of it as a final rest- 
ing place for those who gave their lives 
that that nation might live. It is alto- 
gether fitting and proper that we should 
do this. 

8 



But in a larger sense we cannot dedi- 
cate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hal- 
low this ground. The brave men, living 
and dead, who struggled here, have con- 
secrated it far above our poor power to 
add or detract. The world will little note 
nor long remember what we say here, but 
it can never forget what they did here. It 
is for us, the living, rather, to be dedi- 
cated here to the unfiinshed work which 
they who fought here have thus far so 
nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be 
here dedicated to the great task remaining 
before us — that from these honored we 
take increased devotion to that cause for 
which they gave the fast full measure of 
devotion, that we here highly resolve that 
these dead shall not have died in vain, 
that this nation, under God, shall have a 
new birth of freedom, and that the gov- 
ernment of the people, by the people, for 
the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

Enter Courier — -The states have decided to come 
back. 
(Enter states slowly and take places.) 

Uncle Sam — We are very glad to have you back. 
Song — Dixie. 

Lincoln — ^My work is done. I must be going 
(turns to pass to right). (Spirit meets 
him.) 

9 



spirit — O, Lincoln, you are very weary I know, 
but would you not like to see the progress 
of democracy? 

Lincoln — More than anything in the world, kind 
Spirit. 

(Spirit waves Lincoln to place beside Washing- 
ton and Lafayette.) 

Democracy — 

1 863 — ^West Virginia. 

1864 — Nevada. 

1867 — Nebraska, Peru, Alaska. 

1870 — Paraguay and France. 

Prologue — The group of kings about to appear 
does not represent any particular country 
but autocracy in general. 
All sing — Marseillaise. 

While they are singing the three kings en- 
ter from the right. 

1st King (haughtily)— How I hate that Spirit! 

That is the cause of most of our troubles. 

Who will do the work if all the people 

learn to think? 
2nd King — How fast the idea is growing! Just 

see what countries have comp in within the 

last one hundred years! 

3rd King — We ought to crush it. But we may 
be able to overcome it. Let us see w^hat 
the next years bring. 

10 



Spirit reads — 

1871 — Colombia. 

1 876 — Colorado. 

1887 — Montana. 

1888— Brazil. 

1889— North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Washington. 

i 890— Idaho, Wyoming. 

1896— Utah. 

1898 — Philippine Islands. 

1900— Hawaii. 

1902— Cuba. 

1904 — Panama. 

1907- Oklahoma. 

1 9 1 — New Mexico, Portugal, Arizona. 

1911— China. 
China — Asia has given many things to the 
world; among them papermaking, silk 
manufacture, gunpowder and porcelain 
making. We have heard of your ideas of 
democracy. We, too, would like a gov- 
ernment "of the people, by the people, for 
the people," so I have come to join you. 
The Kings (very angry) — This must be stopped. 
If it continues we are lost. We must strike 
together. 
(They rush to France and thrust their swords in 
her. France falls on her knees — Kings 
back slowly to former position.) 



Enter Salvation Army and Red Cross. 

Salvation Army (putting a hand on France's 
shoulder) says — "I am a servant of de- 
mocracy. I come to all who suffer. Do 
not be afraid France, we will help you. 

Red Cross — -I, too, am a server of democracy. 
Be of good cheer, France; the w^hole w^orld 
will help you. 

Uncle Sam (Makes a motion of advancing to 
France.) (The kings, watching, ru^tj, and 
make another thrust — France falls almost 
prostrate.) , ' -W - 

Uncle Sam — This cannot go on. We mbst again 
fight for freedom. I summon Wdodrow 
Wilson as my agent. 

Enter Wilson- — to Uncle Sam — I am at your com- 
mand. Whatever you wish I will execute. 
The government of the people, by the peo- 
ple, for the people must not perish from 
the earth. 

Uncle Sam — -Call for the Army and Navy and 
go to France's aid. 

Wilson — I command the Army and Navy. 
Enter (from left) Army and Navy. 

Wilson — You must go at once to help France. 

The Army and Navy, with weapons for 
attack, advance slowly but firmly toward 
the kings. The kings use swords feebly 
but back toward wing at right — until out. 

12 



Army and Navy return and take posi- 
tions on each side of Uncle Sam. 

Spirit steps to the front — Our idea of democracy 
is spreading rapidly all over the world. 
Great nations of the world are beginning 
to see the wisdom of a government "of 
the people, by the people, for the people." 
1 9 I 7— Russian and Virgin Islands. 
I 9 1 8 — Czecho-Slovak. 

Wilson steps forw^ard — As we have formed a 
great republic on the western hemisphere, 
so the peoples of Europe, Asia and Africa 
will form a league of nations, based on 
the principle of "a government of the peo- 
ple, by the people, for the people. ' 

All the nations — All hail the day! 

Spirit — I trust that the sentiment of the league of 
nations will always be in harmony with 
the thought expressed by Rudyard Kip- 
ling in — 

All— 

"God of our fathers, known of old 

Lord of our far-flung battle line — 
Beneath whose aw^ful hand we hold 
Dominion over palm and pine — 

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, 
Lest w^e forget, lest w^e forget! 

The tumult and the shouting dies 

The captains and the kings depart 
Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, 
An humble and a contrite heart. 

Lord God of Hosts, be w^ith us yet, 
Lest we forget, lest we forget! 



If drunk with sight of power, we loose 

Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe 
Such boasting as the Gentiles use, 

Or lesser breeds w^ithout the Law — 
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet. 
Lest we forget, lest we forget! 

For heathen heart that puts her trust 

In reeking tube and iron shard — 
All valiant dust that builds on duct, 

And guarding calls not Thee to guard. 

For frantic boast and foolish word. 
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord! 



COSTUMES— 

The colonists wear wigs. Wigs are 
easily made, using an old stocking cap and 
covering with cotton batting. 

The states may each carry its own flag. 
The flags are easily made from paper. (The 
Geographic Magazine, October, 1917, has 
pictures of the flags.) 

The countries are represented by girls. 
The girls carry shields made of paper and 
w^ear caps of the tri-color. On the shield 
is printed the name of the country and 
the year it became a republic. 

The historical characters the usual cos- 
tumes. 

Army and Navy represented by a sol- 
dier and sailor. 

14 



FORMATION FOR OPENING 



Jefferson 

Washington 

Lincoln 

Courier 

Kings 

Nations 

Army & Navy 



FRONT OF STAGE 



FORMATION DURING PLAY 




states 



4-5-6 



3 2 





6. Spirit 

1. Uncle Sam 

2. Army 

3. Navy 

4. Lincoln 

5. La Fayette 

6. Washington 

7. States 

8. France 

9. Countries 
10. Kings 



FRONT OF STAGE 



FORMATION FOR RECESSIONAL 




6 1. 


Uncle Sam 


2. 


Army 


3. 


Navy 


4. 


Spirit 


V 5- 


Nations 


V 6. 


States 



FRONT OF STAGE 

FORMATION FOR MARCHING OFF 



10 



7 5 



1. 


Uncle Sam 


2. 


Army 


3. 


Navy 


4. 


States 


5. 


France 


6. 


Red Cross 


7. 


Salvation Army 


8. 


La Fayette 


9. 


Prologue 


10. 


Nations 


11. 


Spirit 



11 



FRONT OF STAGE 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

m 

017 401 639 2 • 



